Indian Philosophers have been pondering over the question of the relationships between Man, the Universe, and God since time immemorial. And one of the earliest of these philosophers was Kanada. Not only did he give the atomic theory but also gave the atom the name ‘Parmanu.’
Born around 600 B.C. near Dwarka in Gujarat, Kanada was an Indian Philosopher known by the name of Kashyap. The name Kanada was probably given by Muni Somasharma, who was impressed after Kashyap told him the importance of even one small grain to the universe. The Muni said that in recognition of Kashyap’s unique understanding of the importance of minuscule things, he would henceforth be known as Kanada (Kan is a grain).
Kanada has great importance among Indian scientists due to his brilliant and path-breaking concept of atomic theory and relativity.
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According to him, an object appears to be heavier underwater than it does in the air. This was because the density of atoms in water is more than in air.
Further, he also stated that the additional density in water takes on the part of the weight of an object. As a result of this, we feel only a part of its total weight. However, in air, the lesser density of atoms results in a lesser part of an object’s weight being picked by air. Due to this, we feel the object to be heavier in the air than what it was when under the water.
In saying this, in a very primary but important way, Kanada foreshadowed Archimedes. The reason being that according to Archimedes theory’, a body submerged in a fluid is subjected to an upward force equal in measure to the weight of the fluid it displaces. Kanada’s idea also had hints of relativity in it, which was propounded by Einstein in our times.
Kanada noted that a natural urge made one Parmanu combine with another. When two Parmanu relating to one class of material combined, a dwimuka (binary molecule) was the result, this dwimuka had characteristics similar to the two parents Parmanu.
In the material universe, according to him, Parmanu belonging to different classes of substances combine in various combinations. This gave us a variety of dwimuka, which, in other words, means different types of substances. Besides this, Kanada also put forth the idea of chemical changes transpiring because of various factors. He claimed that the shift in temperature could bring about such changes.
According to Kanada, all substances, all bodies that endured in the universe was made of Parmanu (atoms).
He quoted the examples of the blackening of a new earthen pot and the ripening of fruit to demonstrate the chemical change in substances caused by the heat.
The variations in the matter reflected the distinctiveness of the Parmanu, which established that particular matter, the variety of combinations between various types of Parmanu, and the effect on them of variation in temperature.
Kanada’s was the first to describe Atomic theory by almost 2500 years before it became mainstream and also described relativity before Einstein made it popular. Compared to contemporaries and later scientists, Kanada was the undoubted master of his field.
